Category: Other
Strikes at Chilean mines send copper prices sky-high
SANTIAGO, July 10, 2007 (AFP) – Copper prices soared Tuesday as labor strikes pressured some of the largest copper mines in Chile, which supplies one-third of the world’s supply of the metal.“There is a direct impact on the mine’s production.Because of the violence by a group of subcontractors, it was decided to suspend ore extraction, […]
Sri Lanka tea firms lose on wage hikes and strikes
July 10, 2007 (LBO) – A pay hike wrested by workers with a strike on Sri Lanka’s tea estates last year has taken its toll on two more plantations companies, Kahawatte Plantations and Madulsima Plantations, with both firms reporting losses. “For the industry, it is indeed a dilemma to reconcile social responsibilities with the realities […]
Sri Lanka to tighten controls on tea imports
July 09, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Tea Board plans to double the import duty on foreign-made teas and introduce quality certification for imports to prevent illicit blending with Ceylon Tea. . Officials say this is aimed at safeguarding the image of pure Ceylon Tea. Under the new rules, to be gazetted soon, the import […]
Mercy Call
July 9, 2007 (LBO) – The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is calling on Muslim scholars to appeal a death sentence facing an under-aged Sri Lankan girl who is accused of killing a child in Saudi Arabia. AHRC says the girl, Rizana Naffeek, is facing death for a mistake made while feeding a four month […]
Please Hurry
July 9, 2007 (LBO) – A Hong Kong based rights body has offered to foot a part of the legal fees to appeal the case of a young Sri Lankan girl condemned to death in Saudi Arabia with time rapidly running out to appeal her case. The Asian Human Rights Commission is urging the Sri […]
British finance ministry plans to close arms sales department: report
LONDON, July 9, 2007 (AFP) – The British finance ministry wants to shut down the government arms sales department, the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO), The Guardian reported on Monday.Citing unnamed political sources, the daily said that former Treasury minister Stephen Timms had ordered a review of DESO because of criticisms that it helped subsidise […]
Oil prices drop as Nigerian rebels release British toddler
LONDON, July 9, 2007 (AFP) – World oil prices fell on Monday after rebels in key energy producer Nigeria freed a three-year old British girl. The kidnapping last week of Margaret Hill, along with US supply concerns, had pushed oil prices to near 11-month highs on Friday, above 76 dollars a barrel in London. In […]
” Wonders of the World named amid controversy
LISBON, July 8, 2007 (AFP) – Seven “new” wonders of the world including the Great Wall of China and the Coliseum in Rome, selected by nearly 100 million voters and upsetting cultural experts, were announced late Saturday at a celebrity-studded televised ceremony in the Portuguese capital. The others are the Taj Mahal in India, the […]
”’ prepares to defend his crown
NEW DELHI, July 8, 2007 (AFP) – Kishore Biyani, known as India’s “King of Retail”, is spending the weekend his favourite way: trawling the aisles of one of his Big Bazaar supermarkets, eyeing what customers are loading up on.“Modern (chain store) retail makes up about eight percent of total retail in India and is expected […]
”: Boeing
SEATTLE, Washington, July 6, 2007 (AFP) – The revolutionary materials used to build Boeing’s ground-breaking Dreamliner 787 passenger jet look set to transform the civil aviation industry forever, officials said Friday. Speaking to journalists ahead of the 787’s formal roll-out on Sunday, Boeing officials declared that the composite plastics that make up around 50 percent […]
Indian baby girl rescued after being buried alive
HYDERABAD, India, July 7, 2007 (AFP) – A baby girl buried alive by her grandfather in southern India was in good condition on Saturday after being rescued, hospital officials said. The child’s grandfather and mother have been arrested for attempted murder following the baby’s rescue in Mahbubnagar district, 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Hyderabad, […]
Graft Block
July 6, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lankan civil society has developed an action plan to counter corruption with help from USAID’s Anti-Corruption Program (ACP), the United States embassy in Colombo said. The embassy says the draft plan identifies priority actions to be taken by various constituencies including government, the private sector, civil society, media, and […]